News at Florida's Native and Naturalized Orchids

An educational photographic site dedicated to our natural treasures

• April 2009: Prem has an exhibit at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Read more about this on the Exhibits/Speaking Engagements page.

• Florida's State Parks at Risk!
  It has come to my attention that as many as 22 state parks in Florida are at risk to be closed in an upcoming session of the Florida legislature. If you were to view a satellite map of Florida, it would become apparent that there is very little natural area left in the entire state...where there aren't large metroplexes, there are golf course. Where there aren't golf courses, there are cow pastures. All of the wild lands seem to be a few patches of dark green dotted here and there, and most of these are state parks, state forests, national forests, or preserves of other types, but these end up being such small, fragmented islands in a sea of land cleared by "civilization".

  It is disheartening that the legislature is considering closing some of these few remaining spaces under the state's control. We can't afford to lose any more natural spaces!!!

  You can read more about these proposed closures and what you can do to stop them at the following link:

      Florida Hikes Blog

  Please help keep our state parks open!

• The Pogonia ophioglossoides and Cleistes bifaria pages have been converted from the older format to the new, improved format.
   
• October 28, 2008: The photo of Encyclia tampensis fma. albolabia 'Mendenhall' AM/AOS has now been added to the database and resides on the Encyclia tampensis page.
   
• September, 2008: A landmark book, produced by Selby Gardens, and authored by Peggy Alrich, Wesley Higgins, Bruce Hansen, Robert Dressler, Tom Sheehan, and John Atwood was released recently: Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera.
  
  I have had the privilege of providing several photographs for this work. These include a photograph of Dendrobium leonis for the obsolete genus Aporum, a photograph of a wild Calopogon tuberosus for the genus Calopogon, a photograph of a wild Isotria verticillata for the genus Isotria, and a photograph of a wild Cleistes bifaria for the genus Cleistes. I am honored to have been asked to participate in this work, helping further educate the public about our native North American orchid species.
  
  This book can be ordered from Selby Gardens and/or Amazon.com via the following links (note: I do not profit in any way by the sale of this book):
  
  **Click to order the book from Selby Gardens.**
**Click to order the book from Amazon.com.**